Almere and Lelystad
Start up, expand and succeed in Almere and Lelystad
Almere boasts 42 kilometres of coastline and offers a rich natural environment of lakes and waterways and impressive modern architecture. Built on land reclaimed from the IJsselmeer lake, it’s located only 20 minutes from Amsterdam’s city centre, yet boasts wide expanses of space. Just 30 kilometres north, Lelystad is another youthful city with water flowing through its heart and positive business opportunities at every turn. Almere is a city with ambition. Since it was founded in 1976, it has become the most original and exemplary of the Netherlands’ ‘new towns’. As one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, it now has a population of roughly 221,000 residents while remaining energetic, green and sustainable. Find out more about living and working in the Almere area.
Almere continues to expand, with 60,000 new homes planned to be built by 2030 and plenty of space to accommodate offices, warehouses and business parks. Simply put, the region has an incredibly strong entrepreneurial spirit, with high numbers of businesses trading regionally, nationally and internationally. The area of Almere and Lelystad maintains an innovative outlook and a perpetual attitude of regeneration and creative invention. Its urban planners and architects look to the future, which means cutting-edge international companies are increasingly attracted to the region.
USPs for business
- Accessible: 20-35 minutes from Amsterdam city centre
- Business-friendly: Almere and Lelystad welcome and help new businesses to set up and settle
- Infrastructure: Excellent connections by road, rail and air
- Modern: 2 young cities with an innovative approach to spatial planning and architecture
- Room for growth: space is plentiful with endless options for businesses and logistics
- Multinational: A talented workforce on the doorstep, with housing and schools for international talent
- Future ready: Almere is home to more than 4000 students
How to get there
Travelling to Amsterdam by train is fast and convenient – it takes just 20 minutes from Almere and 35 minutes from Lelystad – which provides access to many Dutch cities and a direct train connection to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Lelystad has a direct train connection to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. There is high-quality access by road, with the A6 motorway heading north through Almere and Lelystad, towards northern Dutch cities and Germany. Southbound traffic makes the most of the newly improved motorway network to quickly connect to Amsterdam, Schiphol, and other major Dutch cities in the south. Lelystad Airport will soon offer international flights.
Who is here?
Large multinational companies can be found in Almere. This includes the production facility and the European headquarters of the Yakult Group in Europe, engine manufacturer Yanmar, and Mitsubishi Turbo Engines. These big names from Japan are accompanied by Dutch businesses such as Voiceworks and Elements Interactive. The region is also home to Csmart, the global training centre of the world’s largest leisure travel company, Carnival Corporation.
More than 18,000 businesses, 150 of them international companies, have set up shop in Almere and employ more than 80,000 people. Almere still has plenty of space to grow, providing numerous possibilities for companies that want to open offices or buy land to build warehouses and distribution centres. The region’s expanse of space means it’s an ideal location for business parks and logistics centres. Business Park Stichtsekant hosts modern distribution centres for regional and national markets, and is just a 30 minute drive from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the Port of Amsterdam and the Utrecht region.
The Lelystad Airport Businesspark (LAB) is a 140-hectare centre that is home to bicycle manufacturer Giant, car builder Donkervoort, and the Spanish fashion giant Inditex including brands such as Zara, Pull&Bear and Bershka. The site has extensive plots with permission to build up to 30-metres high. Inditex is currently building an enormous distribution centre – the Netherlands’ biggest logistics development. Small- and medium-sized companies are also busy in Almere and Lelystad. As a breeding ground for business growth, the region is increasingly popular with international app builders and digital startups looking to make the most of the Amsterdam Area’s startup and scale-up ecosystem.
Prevalent industries
The number of companies in Almere and Lelystad is growing steadily. The majority of businesses are in wholesale and retail, business services and healthcare, followed by IT/tech, and engineering and construction.
Good for business
The region around Almere and Lelystad has an abundance of affordable space for businesses. Whether it’s for offices, European headquarters, data or distribution centres, Almere and Lelystad have the space, workforce and talent to make it happen, all within 30 minutes of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and the centre of Amsterdam. Prices for plots are attractive and regulations are business-friendly. A high-capacity fibre glass network for domestic and business use is available. For data centres, the province of Flevoland has direct connections to the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) and enough energy to power data-hungry businesses.
Almere is part of amsterdam inbusiness, the official foreign investment agency of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. amsterdam inbusiness assists international companies with establishing and expanding their operations in the Amsterdam Area, helping them create a convincing business case for setting up offices in the area. This service is free, strictly confidential and without a hidden agenda.
Attracting talent
Easy connections to Amsterdam and affordable housing make Almere and Lelystad highly popular with families and young professionals alike. The small, safe neighbourhoods, surrounding countryside with its green, open spaces and excellent infrastructure mean the quality of life is very high. A wide variety of cultural events and festivals take place throughout the year. The region boasts more than 300 indoor and outdoor sports facilities, including water sports, and more than a hundred sports clubs. Almere has two international schools and the region is home to a lively international community with various social groups and clubs.
IN Amsterdam’s one-stop-shop registration is available in the city of Almere, meaning international newcomers get an easy start and can feel at home quickly. To find out more about the region, visit thisisalmere.com.
